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Washington Evening Journal
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Business association honors Montezuma educators
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MONTEZUMA — Two Montezuma Community School District employees received three business honors from the Iowa Business Education Association last month.
Kevin Gartman, the high school business teacher, and Kelly O’Rourke, the K-12 principal, were honored during the 2024 IBEA fall conference in September in Ankeny.
Gartman was named Iowa Outstanding Business Educator and Best in Business. O’Rourke received the Distinguished Service Award to Business Education.
The IBEA oversees business teachers in Iowa, expands opportunities for professional growth and development and works directly with the Department of Education to develop policies surrounding career and technical education opportunities.
Gartman said he’s thankful for students who care about learning and are willing to take chances in the classroom, he said. He’s thankful for teachers at Montezuma who are great at what they do.
Gartman has learned to create lesson plans from them. He’s learned about classroom management and how to grow a successful competitive organization.
“I'm also thankful for our administration that has enthusiastically supported our career and technical education department and has allowed our school to be at the forefront of financial literacy education within the state of Iowa,” noted Gartman.
“Having the chance to be a part of a school that knows where we're going, has a plan to get there and wants to be proactive rather than reactive is important, and Principal O'Rourke and Rich Schulte (school superintendent) do a tremendous job with that.”
“I have been blessed to walk into a school that has successful career and technical education departments with enthusiastic educators that want to push our kids to succeed at a high level,” said O’Rourke.
“Mr. Gartman has been on the forefront of financial literacy in the state and continues to provide unique opportunities to our students each year. I have the role of supporting his growth and giving him the time, resources and ability to continue to push the program forward.”
